MP Caputo invites Pope Francis to visit Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc to advance reconciliation

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo is adding his voice to those calling on Pope Francis to visit Secwépemc territory when he visits Canada.

Francis has accepted an invitation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to visit Canada on “an apostolic journey of reconciliation”, though dates and locations have yet to be set.

In a letter sent to the Vatican this week, Caputo says he met with the Holy See’s diplomatic ambassador to Canada, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic on Nov. 4.

Caputo says he restated the invitation for Pope Francis to visit his riding, saying his constituents are “warm and welcoming” and he believes “a visit here would be a significant opportunity for the Catholic Church to continue the ongoing commitment to reconciliation and dialogue with Indigenous peoples in Canada.”